Jordy Clasie Reveals How the Language Barrier With Claude Puel Made Him Feel Isolated at Southampton

Former Southampton midfielder Jordy Clasie has revealed that language barriers with current Leicester coach Claude Puel were the main reason for his departure from the Saints.

Clasie followed his former Feyenoord manager Ronald Koeman to Southampton after the Dutch manager's first season in England.

Clasie's time was cut short with his former manager however, as Koeman's immediate success at achieving the highest ever Premier League finish for the Saints, saw the Dutch manager fill the vacant position at Everton.

In came French manager Puel to fill the Dutchman's shoes. The current ​Leicester boss had never managed in England before and Clasie revealed it was 'impossible' to interact with the new manager, as he only spoke French.

Speaking to Dutch newspaper AD, via ​Sports Wi​tness, the 27-year-old revealed how hard it became for him when the shift in management came.

"Koeman left after one season and Claude Puel came. From that moment it became less and less," he said.

"The new manager did not speak any English at all, only French. Not that my English was so great in the beginning, but communicating with the trainer was actually impossible".

Under Puel the Dutch midfielder featured in just 16 league games that season, and Clasie himself said he didn't see a future under Puel, adding: "You do not just step in with him to talk about your situation. Moreover, Puel had quickly made it known that I simply did not appear in his plans."

Following that, the Dutch international spent the following season at Belgian side Club Brugge where he completed a season-long loan before going back on loan again, this time to Feyenoord.

Clasie said: "We had already been at a training camp in China and it went on and on. Two weeks in China, I did not see that at all.

"With lead in my shoes I stepped onto that plane. I had to, the negotiations between Feyenoord and ​Southampton went awry. When we went to France later in the season, there was finally an agreement between the clubs.

"Finally. I wanted to go back so badly, it had been in my head for so long."